Support for articles



June 26, 1934. E, w LARsEN 1,964,585

SUPPORT FOR ARTICLES Y Filed Feb. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June26, 1934 r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT FOR ARTICLES Einer W.Larsen, Chicago, 11]., assignmto Westem Electric Company, Incorporated,New York. N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 3, 1932,Serial No. 590,542

Claims. (01. 242-72) This invention relates to a support for articles,The forward ends of the locking jaws 18, that and more particularly to asupporting arbor for is, the ends adjacent the cam faced member 15,spools, reels, or the like. are recessed as at 23 for receiving integralAn object of the invention is to provide a safe, retaining portions 24formed by the slots 19 of 5 efllcient and practical device forsupporting artithe arbor 20. The locking jaws 18 have tapered c1eslocking surfaces 28 arranged to be forced into In accordance with oneembodiment, the inlocking engagement with a reel 29 when placed ventioncontemplates a reel supporting arbor, upon the arbor 20. havingpivotally supported at the outer end there- Disposed concentric with theshaft 10 is a 10 of locking jaws which are normally urged into spring32, one end of which abuts the cam locking relation with a reel,disposed upon the faced member 15, while the other end abuts an arbor,by a spring actuated cam faced element. annular member 33 which isdisposed concentric The cam faced element and the spring for actuwiththe Shaft 10 and i f rced by the sprin ating it are disposed concentricwith the shaft aga ns projections 34 0f the locking la s 18 at 15 uponwhich the arbor is mounted, one end of the P t O w y from the p v t lCenters of the shaft being threaded to receive an internally locking las o a p pose hereinafter described. threaded member for moving the camfaced The operation of this form of the invention, to member against theforce of the spring to allow mov e reel from t e a b consists of rothelocking jaws to swing about their pivots so tating the member 13 in aclockwise direction, 20 that the reel may be removed from the arbor.looking fr m h ri h Fi o f rce the cam Other features and advantages ofthis invenaced m m 15 inwardly against the C p estion will be moreclearly understood from the fol- $1011 of the Sp 32, during w chmovement lowing detailed description taken in connection the force ofthe spring causes the locking jaw with the accompanying drawings, inwhich 18 to move about their pivots 21, due to th 25 Fi 1 is a,longitudinal sectional view of one engagement of the annular member 33with the form of the invention; projections 32, as the cam faced member15 is Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of another moved inwardlyto allow inward movement of form of the invention; the outer ends of thelocking jaws. As soon as Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view ofstill the outer ends of the locking jaws are moved so another form ofthe invention, and inwardly toward the shaft 10, sufficiently to free 35Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views taken rethe reel 29, the reel maybe removed from the spectively along the lines 44, 5-5 and 66 arbor andanother reel disposed thereupon. of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. In locking thereel upon the arbor, the thread- Referring now to the drawings, numeral10 ed member 13 is rotated in a counterclockwise 35 (Fig. 1) designatesa shaft, one end of which is direction, looking from the right (Fig. 1),which journaled in a suitable support (not shown) and fla o ows the Spforce the cam the other end has a reduced threaded portion 12 facedmember 15 to the right, forcing the lockupon which an internallythreaded member 13 ing jaws l8 outwardly about their pivots until isdisposed. A retaining member 14 extends the tapered surfaces 28 thereofare moved into 40 t an aperture in the end of the threaded porlockingengagement with the outer head of the tion 12, is pinned in place andhas an annular reel, forcing the inner head into close engagecollar forlimiting the movement of the member ment with the tapered shoulder 22 ofthe arbor 13 to the right. A cam faced member 15 is mova- 20. It will beapparent that the spring 32 aided bly mounted upon the reduced portionl2of the by the cam faced member 35 forces the locking shaft 10 and hasone end disposed in abuttingv jaws 18 into locking relation with thereel and relation with a bearing 16 mounted in the that even though theforce of the spring 32 is threaded member 13. The peripheral surfacesuflicient to move the locking jaws inwardly toof the cam faced member15 is tapered and enward the shaft 10 when the cam faced member gagesSimilarly tapered Surfaces 17 of locking is moved to' the left, it isnot suflicient to pre- 50 jaws 18 which are disposed i q y pac d vent apositive locking of the reel upon the arbor.

longitud y extending Slots 19 Of an arbor 20 In this locked position,the nut or threaded memand piv ally Secured n P ac as at 1. Adjacent ber13 is loose on the threaded portion 12 but is the inner extremity of thearbor 20 a tapered prevented from coming off by the stop 14. shoulder22 is formed serving as an abutment If the arbor is revolved without avreel being 55 for a reel. placed thereon, the locking jaws 18 tend tofly outward around the pivot 21 but are restrained by the retainingportion 24.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 is similar to the form shownin Fig. 1 in that the locking jaws are pivotally mounted and normallyurged into locking positions by a spring pressed cam faced member. Inthis form a hollow shaft 40 is mounted upon a solid shaft 41, the latterbeing journaled in a suitable support 42. The outer end of the hollowshaft 40 is threaded as at 43 and has an internally threaded member 44disposed thereupon, which is limited in its movement 'to the right by aretaining member 45 extending into the outer end of the hollow shaft 40and having an annular portion 46 receivable in an annular recess of themember 44. The retaining member 45 is secured to the shaft 41 by anysuitable means, such as a screw 47.

Mounted concentric with the shaft 40 is a cam faced member 50 havingintegral sleeve portions annular in general contour and extending fromeach side thereof, one of the sleeve portions extending over a reducedportion of the internally threaded member 44 and forming an abuttingsurface 51 while the other sleeve portion forms a support for one end ofa spring 52. The other end of the spring 52 abuts against a shoulder 53of an arbor 54 arranged to receive a reel 55. Disposed in spaced slotsin the arbor 54 are locking jaws 58 pivotally supported at 59 and havingtapered surfaces 60 which engage cam surfaces 61 of the cam faced member50. Opposite the tapered surfaces 60 are transversely extending lockingsurfaces 62 arranged to engage the reel 55 at spaced positions to forcethe reel into intimate engagement with a shoulder 63 of the arbor 54 andhold the reel against displacement. The inner ends of the locking jaws58 are disposed in engagement with springs 64, which normally urge thelocking jaws about their pivots 59 to force the outer ends ,,thereofaway from the reel 55.

During the operation of this form of the ir-rvention to remove the reelfrom the arbor, the

internally threaded member 44 is rotated ina clockwise direction,looking from the right (Fig. 2) causing a movement thereof relative tothe shaft until its inner ends strike the shoulders 51 of the cam facedmember 50 and by further movement of the internally threaded member 44the cam faced member 50 will be moved to the left against thecompression of the spring 52, allowing the outer ends of the lockingjaws to be moved inwardly about their pivots 59 by springs 64. When thecam faced member 50 has been moved to the left, a sufficient distance toallow the locking jaws 58 to drop out of general alignment with theinner surface of the reel drum. the reel 55 may be removed from thearbor 54 and another reel may be disposed thereupon.

The second reel may be locked in place by rotating the member 44 in acounterclockwise direction, looking from the right (Fig. 2), allowingthe cam faced member 50 to be moved to the right by the force of thespring 52, the movement of the cam faced member causing the locking jawsto be swung about their pivots 59 against the tension of the springs 64until the locking surfaces 62 of the locking jaws 48 are forced intointimate engagement with the reel. In this locked position the threadedmember 44 is loose on the threads 43 but is prevented from coming off bystop 46.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is similar to the forms shownin Figs. 1 and 2 in that the locking jaws are pivotally mounted and arenormally urged outwardly into locking engagement with a reel by a springactuated cam faced member. In this form of the invention a shaft has oneend journaled in a suitable support 71 and the other end provided withthreads 72 upon which is disposed an internally threaded member 73, heldagainst movement in one direction by a retaining member 74. A cam facedmember 75 is disposed concentric with the shaft 70 and has tapered camsurfaces 76 disposed at spaced positions around its periphery inengagement with which locking jaws 77 are disposed. The locking jaws 77are pivotally mounted at 78 in recesses in the outer end of an arbor 79and have transversely extending locking surfaces 80 arranged to engagethe outer end of a reel 81 disposed upon the arbor 79. The arbor-79 ispinned to an' enlarged portion 82 of the shaft 70, which forms a collarupon the shaft against which one end of a spring 83 abuts the other endabutting the cam faced member 75. The arbor 79 has tapered abuttingshoulder 84 at the inner end thereof in engagement with which the reel81 is forced when the locking jaws '77 are moved into their lockingpositions.

In order to remove the reel 81 from the arbor, the threaded member 73 isrotated in a clockwise direction looking from the right (Fig. 3), untilit engages the cam faced member '75 and by further rotation of thethreaded member 73 the cam faced member will be moved to the leftagainst the compression of the spring 83 until the looking jaws 77 arepermitted to be moved inwardly about their pivots 78 suflioiently tofree the reel 11 and allow it to be moved from the arbor.

Another reel may be disposed upon the arbor and by rotating the threadedmember 73 in a. counterclockwise direction, the cam faced member 75 willbe moved to the right by the force 114 of the spring 83, moving thelocking jaws 7'1 about their pivots and forcing the locking surfaces 80into intimate engagement with the reel, which vwill'force the inner endof the reel against the abutting shoulder 84 and lock the reel in place.m In this locked position, the threaded member 73 is loose on the thread72 but is prevented from coming off by the stop 74.

In each form of the invention, the locking jaws are normally urgedoutwardly about their pivotal supports to lock an article upon the arborand the ends of the locking jaws are tapered or rounded to aid in theplacing of an article such as a reel upon the arbor. Furthermore, theinternally threaded members 13, 44 and 73, the purposes of which are tomove the cam faced members against the tension of the springs so thatthe locking jaws may be moved out of their looking positions, rotatefreely upon their respective shafts when the articles are locked uponthe arbors and are being rotated, and are held against displacement byretaining members so that these members or any other parts will not bethrown from the apparatus while in motion. The forcing of the lockingjaws into locking engagement with the article by the springs obviatesthe necessity of a threaded or other-mechanism being used to hold thelocking jaws in engagement with the article which would tend to becomeloosened during the rotation of the arbor.

It should be understood that these features may be employed for lockingvarious articles upon supporting members without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

W at s claimed is:

1. In a reel locking device, an arbor for supporting a reel, lockingjaws pivotally carried by said arbor, a movable cam member arranged toengage said jaws, resilient means normally forcing said cam member inone direction for forcing the locking jaws in engagement with the reelto lock the reel upon said arbor, means for forcing said cam memberagainst said resilient means for freeing said jaws from engagement withthe reel and thereby rendering said resilient means effective for movingsaid locking jaws out of looking engagement with said reel.

2. In a reel locking device, means for supporting a reel, locking jaws,a cam member disposed in engagement with said jaws, resilient means formoving said cam member in one direction for moving said jaws inengagement with said reel for locking the reel upon said supportingmeans, and means for moving said cam member against the force of saidresilient means, whereby said resilient means is rendered effective for.moving said jaws out of locking engagement with the reel.

3. In a reel locking device, an arbor for supporting a reel, a lockingjaw carried by said arbor, a shaft within said arbor, a spring pressedcam slidable on said shaft for locking said jaw in engagement with areel, and a member threaded on the outer end of said shaft and having adiameter not greater thanthat of said arbor for releasing said cam fromlooking engagement with said jaw.

4. In a reel locking device, an arbor for supporting a reel, a, lockingjaw, carried by said arbor, a rotatable shaft having one end threadeddisposed axially of said arbor, a cam slidably mounted upon said shaftand having a eamming surface positioned in engagement with said lockingjaw, a spring for normally urging said cam in a direction to move thelocking jaw into locking 8 engagement with said reel, and an internallythreaded hand-wheel disposed upon the threaded end of said shaft formoving said cam against the force of said' spring to release saidlocking jaws from said reel and movable free of said cam when saidlocking jaws are in locked position.

5. In a reel locking device, an arbor for supporting a reel, lockingjaws carried by said arbor, a rotatable shaft having one end threadeddisposed axially of said arbor, a cam slidable upon said shaft, a springfor normally urging said cam in one direction to move said locking jawsinto locking engagement with said reel, an internally threaded memberdisposed upon the threaded end of said shaft for moving said cam in thelloo other direction against the force of said spring to free the lockingjaws from said reel and positioned free of said cam when in lookingposition, and means for limiting the movement of said threaded member inone direction relative to said shaft.

EINER W. LARSEN.

